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HARRISBURG, April 14 – Six state lawmakers are asking Attorney General Kathleen Kane to investigate allegations that Penn National withdrew from a casino and horse racetrack project in Lawrence County to block it from competing with a nearby casino the company owns. State Rep. Chris Sainato, one of the authors of the letter, said allegations of fraud and criminal conduct contained in a lawsuit filed against Penn National are troubling. "I, along with my colleagues have called on Attorney General Kane to promptly investigate these allegations, which include alleged criminal conduct, and to take all appropriate action," said Sainato, D-Lawrence. "Clearly, the citizens of Lawrence County would be harmed by lost tax revenue, economic stimulus and jobs if these allegations prove true and if the project were lost." "State and local officials have invested time and energy to bring this project to the area," said state Sen. Elder Vogel, another author of the letter. "We want to make sure that the entire process has been conducted in an honest manner." Sainato and Vogel, R-Lawrence/Beaver/Butler, represent Mahoning Township, which is the site of the proposed project. The letter also is signed by state Reps. Jaret Gibbons, Mark Longietti, Robert Matzie and James Marshall. Penn National had partnered with Endeka Entertainment for the casino/racetrack project in Mahoning Township, known as Lawrence Read more

State Rep. Chris Sainato, Democratic chairman of the House Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee, helped the Disabled American Veterans Transportation Network dedicate new vans for use by DAV volunteers to assist Pennsylvania veterans in getting to medical appointments and facilities. Read more

The state Department of Military and Veterans Affairs is reminding Pennsylvania veterans that they have until Aug. 31 to apply for a special one-time payment to honor their service and sacrifice if they served on active duty in the Persian Gulf Theater of Operations between Aug. 2, 1990, and Aug. 31, 1991. The bonus pays $75 a month for qualifying, active-duty service members, up to a $525 maximum, for those who served in in Operations Desert Shield or Desert Storm. An additional $5,000 is available to the surviving family for personnel whose death was related to illness or injury received in the line of duty. Service members who were declared prisoners of war may also be eligible for an additional $5,000. The department is reviewing all denials, but new applications are required to reopen a claim. Almost 11,000 Persian Gulf veterans have applied for the one-time cash bonus program since the department began accepting applications in 2008. Instructions on how to apply are available by visiting www.persiangulfbonus.state.pa.us . Read more

HARRISBURG, March 4 – State Rep. Chris Sainato joined his colleagues in the state House today to unanimously pass legislation that would make it a crime to possess equipment used in animal fighting. “Pennsylvania prohibits animal fighting, so it makes sense to extend our laws to ban equipment used in this barbaric activity,” said Sainato, D-Lawrence. Sainato added that the legislation would help hold offenders accountable in cases where law enforcement is not able to arrive while an animal fight is occurring, but later find equipment used for animal fighting Under H.B. 164, possessing animal fighting paraphernalia would be a third-degree misdemeanor, carrying a maximum penalty of a year in prison and a fine of $2,500. Read more

HARRISBURG, Feb. 24 – State Rep. Chris Sainato has voted for a bill that would put the cost of orally administered chemotherapy treatments within reach of more Pennsylvanians. The bill (H.B. 60) passed the state House today 197-3. "Pennsylvanians fighting for their lives should have affordable access to chemotherapy," said Sainato, D-Beaver/Lawrence. "It should not matter if the treatment recommended by a doctor is ingested or injected." Intravenous chemotherapy treatments are usually covered under a health plan's medical benefit and require a minimal payment. Orally administered treatments are covered under a health plan's pharmacy benefit. Some insurance companies have placed orally administered treatments on "specialty tiers," requiring those who need the drugs to pay as much as one-third of the cost. Typically, a person will pay $1,500 to $3,000 per prescription for a specialty tier drug, according to a study by the Pennsylvania Legislative Budget and Finance Committee. Sainato said the median annual household income in Pennsylvania is $50,000, so the course of treatment would be unaffordable to many residents. House Bill 60 would prohibit insurance companies from placing oral anti-cancer medications on a specialty tier or charging a co-insurance payment for the medication. Sainato noted that the LBFC study found that more than 30 percent of people who were prescribed a drug on a specialty Read more

HARRISBURG, Feb. 9 – State Rep. Chris Sainato met with Gov. Tom Wolf this morning to discuss legislative initiatives to help his constituents in Lawrence County. Sainato told the governor that development of the proposed Lawrence Downs racetrack and casino, legislation to address blight, economic development and education top this list of priorities. "I appreciate Gov. Wolf taking time to learn about the needs and concerns of the people I represent," Sainato said. "I hope this is the start of a good working relationship that will produce initiatives that help move the 9th Legislative District and all of Lawrence County forward." Sainato said he wants to see the Lawrence Downs project come to fruition because it will create up to 1,000 construction jobs and 600 permanent jobs. "This project will stimulate economic development in the region, and the people of Lawrence County have consistently said they want the casino to be built," Sainato said. Sainato also told the governor he’s interested in initiatives that help third-class cities such as New Castle address blight. Sainato said the expansion of City Revitalization Improvements Zones (CRIZ) could help New Castle. CRIZ uses state tax revenue produced by jobs created in an economic development project to help finance the project. Sainato said financially distressed communities under Act 47, such as New Castle, must be a priority in Read more

HARRISBURG, Feb. 3 – The Pennsylvania House of Representatives on Tuesday unanimously passed state Rep. Chris Sainato's bill that would extend the same death benefits to members of the Pennsylvania Civil Air Patrol that are available to other emergency responders. The state's Emergency and Law Enforcement Personnel Death Benefits Act provides $100,000 to families of emergency responders who die while performing their duties. The bill authored by Sainato, who serves as Democratic chairman of the Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee, would amend the act to include the Civil Air Patrol. The Civil Air Patrol is a federally supported, nonprofit organization that serves as an official civil auxiliary arm of the United States Air Force. It consists of 2,200 volunteers who support emergency service responders across the country by conducting search-and-rescue operations, providing disaster relief and performing homeland security missions. “These volunteers work alongside of police, firefighters and other emergency responders during dangerous situations,” said Sainato, D-Lawrence. “They deserve to have the same benefits as their peers.” Sainato said the Civil Air Patrol has provided valuable assistance in Pennsylvania and other parts of the country. Members of the organization helped communities in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York and Delaware recover from Hurricane Sandy. They also Read more

June will be here before we know it, and many graduating seniors and their parents are thinking about college applications and, more importantly, how to pay tuition bills. I’m urging college-bound high school seniors and their families to consider applying as soon as possible for financial assistance by submitting the FAFSA – the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. The FAFSA is a must for determining eligibility for most need- and income-based financial assistance, including the Pennsylvania State Grant , Pell grants and other federal student loans, work-study programs and various scholarships. The FAFSA may be completed online at www.fafsa.gov . The form is also available on my website by clcking on the education tab under Help & Services. Read more

State Rep. Chris Sainato, D-Lawrence, was sworn in today during ceremonies at the state Capitol to begin his 11th term in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives serving the 9th Legislative District. The state constitution requires each term of the legislature to begin on the first Tuesday of the year. "I’m honored that residents of the 9th Legislative District have trusted me to continue to represent them in the General Assembly," Sainato said. "It’s an honor to be their voice in Harrisburg.” Demonstrating his commitment to public service, Sainato has not missed a session day since he was first elected. The 9th Legislative District consists of New Castle City, Hickory, Mahoning, Neshannock, North Beaver, Pulaski, Shenango and Union townships and Bessemer, S.N.P.J. and South New Castle boroughs. Sainato has been reappointed by House Democratic Leader Frank Dermody to serve as minority chairman of the House Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee for the 2015-16 legislative session. Sainato said staff at his local office, located at Z-Penn Building, 20 S. Mercer St., New Castle, is available to help constituents with any state-related issue. The phone number is 724-656-1112. Sainato also invites residents to visit his website -- www.pahouse.com/Sainato -- which has links to information on state services and includes a form that allows constituents to e-mail him. Read more

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